Can filling machine



' sept. 22, 1931.

R. J. CANTON CAN FILLING MACHINE Filed June 27,119

3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 man y ROLLAND J. CANTON, or Wonen-STER, MASSACHUSETTS can Fiume, MACHINE Applicatiqn ined .Tune 27,

My present invention relates to machines for filling cans orother containers r-with milk or other liquids, the primaryl object-of the invention' being to 'provide a milk canfilling machine. Y t

, An important object of the present invention is the provision of a can lfilling machine which will be extremely lsimple to operate, and yet efficient and positive in its filling aclOD.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means to provide a charge or partial charge of milk after each can filling operation, to expedite the filling ofthe next succeeding can. i n

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means to apprise the operator when the filling of the can is completed. Thus the operator has positive assurance that each can is completely `filled before it leaves the machine, f

Another feature of the invention resides in the particular delivery of the milk to the can. This delivery is accomplished in such a manner that the milk will enter the can at the inner sides of the neck thereof, and will flow down the inner side ofthe can. This will r substantially reduce the `foaming ofthe milk in the can being filled, which foaming has 301 heretofore been a cause ofinconvenience and inaccuracies. `Thus I assure that eachl can, before it leaves themachine, is full of milk, .andV that there isno foam inthe can, I ac` complisliingjthisjdeirable result without the Yai prior necessary waiting for the foam to settle.

'This is accomplished byproviding, above the can being filled, a cylinder. orchamber,A and providing an outlet which leads `from the interior 'of the can being filled to the inte- 40 rior of said cylinder. Thus as the can fills, the air and foam will be forced upwardly through this outlet and into the said cylinder. During the period of. removal of thel can Y being-filled and the replacement of the next succeeding can to be iilled,this foam will have hadY an ,opportunity to-` settle into liquid, ready fordelivery to theneXt can to be operated upon by the machine. Y" ,K f Y Another object of the invention resides in `the particular `mechanism for opening` the described.

1929.' serial 110.374.220.

`filling spout or nozzle after the can is raised to filling position, andk for closing said nozzle when the filled can is lowered away from said spout. fr

Other objects and features of the invention consist in the particular construction and ar? rangement of tlievarious elements and parts thereof, which will be hereinafter more fully I believe that mycan filling-machine, as

abovembriefly described 4and as hereinafter more'fully described, is novel, and have therefore claimed rthe same in the present application.

.The above and otherr objectsand features of the invention will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, describedl and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating-a Fig. 4c is a fragmentary sectional view of the bottom of the machine, illustrating the platform arrangement; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the lifting lever locking mechanism. n 'y y Referring now to the drawings, for aparticular description ofthe invention', its construction, assembly and operation, my novel machine comprises a frame consisting of a base 1, standards 2, topbraces 3, horizontal webs 4, and vertical webs 5. VMounted on the top braces 3 is a lower head 6' held in position by rods 7 to which'rsaid head is secured by set screws 8, said headbeing ladjustable on said rods. On the upper reduced ends of the rods is mounted an upper head 9, secured to said .rods byy set screws 10. The lower v reduced ends offjthe rods 7 lpass through thetopjbraces 3 and are threaded to receive nuts 11 to 'lock said rods in position. kAffixed on pins 12 in the head 9 are a plurality of swingr studs or bolts 13, these studs being adapted to swing into recesses *14: in a cylinder head'l, said studsbeing 'provided'gwith wing nuts 16 to adjust'said cylinder head 15 relatively to the top head 9.

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, to the top of said tube.

A bracket 17 is secured to the cylinder head by studs 18 and nuts 19. A hand .wheel 20 is aiiixed to a threaded stem 21 by a nut 22, saidstem being adapted to be threaded through a threaded boss 23 in theY bracket 17. AtliXed to the threaded stem 21'by a pin 24 is a. valve stem, comprising a solid reduced portion 25 and a tube 26,*the tube 26 having a channel 27 extending vertically therethrough and an outlet port 28 .adjacent I Surrounding the stem 25 Where it passes through the cylinder head 15 is a gasket or packing 77 retained in place by a gland 78 to -prevent leakage at this point. y

Threaded to the lower end of the hollow stem 26 is a valve head 29 'having a. valve seat'30 in which is seated a ball- 31, said head being provided with a concave mouth 32 leading to said valve seat.' 4 y Y Fixed in thl upper head6 is anopen ended cylinder 33 having thereinr a port 34, and secured to the cylinder 33 and alined with the port 34 is an inlet 35 having thereon a. 'suitable coupling flange 36, towhich a connec- -tion-rom Vany suitable source otmilk supply may be attached. The lower edge of this cylinder 33 is normally engagedv by a shoulder 37 on the valve head 29. A gasket, of

` lead-*or lother suitable material .is provided,

to prevent the escape of milk or air at the upper end of said cylinder; Around the upper solid end vof the valve stem is a. sleeve 38 lcarrying a iioat 39 of suitable material.

As the liquid level in the cylinder 33 is raised, it will raise this float until the same strikes against the stem 40 of a valve plunger 4l, said plunger beingV guided in a bracket 42 and finding a seat l1n the valve seat 43 1n the vcylinder-head 15. When the valve plunger 41 .is seated in the seat 43, the egress of air from the interiorY of the cylinder will be checked, and will thus prevent the ingress of further milk through the inlet port 34.

.be-r for Y this gasket.

Vhen the liquid level in the cylinder 33 is lowered, however, the float 39 will drop with 4said level, and will tree the plunger 41 from its seat 43, permitting the milk toV again. flow through the inlet 34. i

Aiiixed t0 the cylinder 33 below the lower head 6 is a rubber gasket 44, although it may be desired to utilize other' material thanrub- This gasket 44 has a tight titaround the cylinder 33, but is held from upward movement thereon by a ring 45 secured to the cylinder by set screws 46. The valve head 29 is guided on the cylinder 33 by tins 47 which form a part of said head. The gasket 44 may beraised or lowered on the cylinder 33 to accommodate cans of varying heights, also to permit the valve head 29 and the lower end of the cylinder 33- to entera can to a desired extent toy displace a desired amount of milk, in order that the justable on the rods 7 for the same purpose.

Carried by the base is al loading platform 48and an unloading platform 49, and interposed between these two platforms is a litting platform 50 carried by angle irons 51 on which a can 52 is positioned with its mouth alined with the valve head29. y In order to raise or elevate the can 52T provide brackets 53 to which the angle irons 51 are secured, each of these brackets having an oitset portion 54 adapted to surround the webs 5 to be guided in a vertical direction. On each of these brackets 53 is a stud bolt 55 to which the lower end 56 of a connecting rod 57 is rotatably mounted, being retained in position by washer 58 and nutl 59. The upper ends of the connecting rods 57 are also threaded and carry nuts 60, and on each rod, below these nuts, is a spring 61 which bears against a sleeve 62 surrounding said rod.4

la member 68 having therein a slot 69. A li'lting lever 70 is mounted on theend otthe `shaft 66 acent to the member 68, and the lever 7 O is adjusted 'for length ot throw by a bolt 71 and nut 72 which will clamp the lever 7 O to the member 68 in desired position.

A strap 73 is bolted to thelever 70, a-nd said strap and said lever carry a handle 74 by means ot a 4bolt 75 and nut 76.

The operation of my present machine is simple and will be readilyA Vunderstood by those skilled in the art.

Then the litting platform 5() is in lowermost position, the lever7() will be at the rear oi the machine, looking at'Fig. 1.

When a Canis placed onl the Yplat-form 50, the lever 7 O is then pulled toward the front of the machine, rotating the togglelinks'65 vandy vmoving the sleeves v62 upwardly on the connecting rods57. This raising of the sleeves on their rods will effect a compression et the springs 61 against the nuts 60 unf2.0 will lower the valve stem andY will leave or provide a'space between the bottom ot the cylinder and the shoulder 37, this space being determined by manipulation of the hand wheel 20. As the milk enters the cylinder 33 Athrough the port 34, said milk will flow downwardly, through the space between the bottom ot the cylinder .33 and theY shoulder 37 and will enter the can. Because .of the particular arrangement illustrated, the milk will the float 39, and will raise lsaid fioat until ithits the stem 40 and raises the plunger 41 against its seat 42.

This will prevent the entrance of further milk int-o the cylinder 33, the cessation of air discharge apprising the operator that the can is completely filled with liquid. The

operator then closes the valve 29, by manipulation of the wheel 20, raising the valve head 29 until its shoulder engages the bottom of the cylinder 33. The operator then pushes the lever to the rear, dropping the sleevesV G2 on their rods 57 and permitting the springs 6l to reach their full length, at which point the platform 50 will be in its lowermost position, the can 52 will be removed overv the platform 49 and another can, which may in the mean time have been resting on the platform 48, lifting operation. again performed. During the interval required for the lowering of the platform, changing of cans, and raising of the platform with an empty can, any foam which is in the cylinder 33 will have had a chance to settle, and as the next succeeding can is raised, there will be a charge of milk in the cylinder ready to be delivered to the can, the charge or volume of milk in the cylinder 33 representing a considerable proportion of the milk which is to be discharged into said next succeeding can.

My novel machine can befreadily disassembled for cleaning, repairs, alterations or adjustments. The simplicity `ofl operation, efiiciency, and advantages -of my novel apparatus will be instantly apparent to those skilled in the art, my novel machine filling large milk cans in a fraction of the time heretoforeV required, and insuring that each can will have nothing but milk, with a complete absence of foam therein. This means that each can, as soon as the machine indicates that it is filled, may be removed therefrom 5 and capped, with complete assurance that there is no short measure therein.

While I have necessarily described my present invention somewhat in detail, it will be appreciated that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts within reasonably wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y

My invention is further'described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

l. In a milk can filling machine, a cylinder slid on the platform 50 and theV having a milk inlet therein, a valve stem depending through said cylinder, a valve head fixed to the lower end of said stem, said valve head and stem having a vent channel therethrough, said stem having an outlet vent therein located within said cylinder, a cylinder head on said cylinder having a valve seat therein, a valve located below said seat, a shoulder on said stem adjacent to its upper end, and a float slidable on said valve stem, and normally seated on said shoulder, said float being automatically operated by the liquid level in said cylinder to engage said valve and seat the same in said seat to prevent the discharge of air through said cylinder.

2. In a milk can filling machine, a platform adapted to receive a can to be filled, a

cylinder yabove said platform, a valve head normally engaging the bottom of said cylinder, connecting rods pivotally fixed at their lower ends to said platform, a sliding sleeve on 'each of said rods, retaining means on the upper ends of said rods, a spring interposed between said retaining means and said sleeve, and means to effect sliding of said sleeves on said rods to compress said springs, the compression of said springs effecting a raising of said platform and contact of said can with said cylinder.V

. 3. In a milk can filling machine, a platform adapted to receive a can to be filled, a cylinder above said platform, a. valve head normally engaging the bottom of saidcylinder, connecting rods pivotally fixed at their lower ends to said platform, a sliding sleeve on each of said rods, retaining means on the upper ends of said rods, a spring interposed between said retaining means and said sleeve, means to effect sliding of said sleeves on said rods to compress said springs, the compression of said springs effecting a raising of said platform and contact of said can kwith said cylinder, and means on said cylinder adapted to be engaged by said can during the raising operation to yform a liquid tight joint, and means to lower said valve head from said cylinder to provide a space between the bottom of said cylinder and said valve head, whereby milk in said cylinder will flow into said can.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ROLLAND J. CANTON. 

